Holiday Trials
by katie janeway
Summary: Frank, Joe, and Nancy have encountered the Network before...but not like this. They are being tested, but the Gray Man refuses to divulge any information, leaving the three teens confused and uncertain as to when the next test will occur.
1. Test 1

**Disclaimer: Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys are property of Simon & Schuster. I do not intend to get profit from this, this is purely for fun. :D And none of the songs quoted are mine, either.**

**Test 1**

_Drew Residence, River Heights, IL_

"Nancy, come on!" Joe Hardy called out. Nancy glanced out the window to see her friend waiting impatiently on her front sidewalk, his stance identical to the last time they'd gone trick-or-treating together in River Heights.

_"Nancy, come on!" Joe Hardy whined. The seven-year-old scuffed his feet on the sidewalk, scowling as he watched a mother go by, towing two costumed children behind her. "We're missing all the candy!"_

_"I'm coming, I'm coming!" the eight-year-old Nancy Drew called back. "Hannah, I'm fine." she insisted as the housekeeper checked her costume one last time. "I gotta go! Dad, Frank, and Joe are waiting!"_

_The older woman smiled. "Alright. Go on then." And she shooed Nancy out the door. The young girl raced down the steps to meet her father and friends, the ends of her trench coat flapping behind her._

_"Aw, Nancy...do you always dress up like a private detective?" Joe complained. "Can't you ever be a princess or something?"_

_"Well, I wanted to be Sherlock Holmes," she replied, frowning. "But I couldn't find my hat and pipe..."_

_"You're fine, honey," Carson said, smiling at his young daughter. "Now, let's go trick-or-treating, shall we?"_

_"All right!" the three children cheered. Joe led the way down the sidewalk, swinging his light saber around enthusiastically. _

_"Last one to that house's doorbell is a rotten egg!" he exclaimed eagerly. Frank and Nancy weren't far behind him, Frank's police cap almost toppling off his head in his hurry to catch up to his younger brother._

Nancy smiled as the memory faded. Just like back then, the Hardys were staying at her place to rest for a few days after a rough case. _Although, last time, it was one of their father's cases, not a case of their own._

"Nancy, come on!" Joe called again. He pulled the trigger on his toy machine gun a few times, letting the noise signal his impatience. Nancy's smile widened to a grin.

_Some things never change,_ she thought as she stuck a pipe into her mouth, pulled her coat shut, and stepped out the door.

"So, remind me again why we're in costume, little brother," Frank said dryly as Nancy joined the two brothers on the sidewalk.

"Frank, it's the spirit of the thing...if you're going to going trick-or-treating, you've got to dress up!"

"Joe, we're not exactly after candy...we're collecting canned goods for food pantries."

"So?" Joe's expression was one of confusion. "Is that supposed to stop us from dressing up?"

Frank sighed in defeat, and Nancy laughed as she linked arms with the two brothers. "Come on, you two," she said, eyes twinkling. "It's Halloween, we've got some great costumes on, and we're out for a good cause. Let's go have some fun!"

"And maybe get some candy, too." Joe added. "You never know...if we walk up with a group of kids, the good candy-givers might think we're babysitters, and toss some in for us."

"Think less about your stomach, Joe," Frank said. "And I still don't see why we needed to be in costume."

"Aw, stop complaining. I think it looks cute," Nancy teased. Frank flushed under his cap. Just like that night ten years ago, he was dressed as a police officer. Nancy had managed to devise a perfect Sherlock Holmes costume, and Joe looked far older than his seventeen years in the army fatigues he'd chosen as a costume.

_It's not that I don't like this holiday,_ Frank thought to himself as he followed his brother and Nancy down the sidewalk. _I just feel a little old to be dressing up._ Though, he had to admit, Nancy was quite attractive in her costume, especially when she turned to smile at him, eyes twinkling and pipe stuck jauntily in her mouth.

_River Heights, IL_

By the time they'd reached the fifth house, Joe was complaining. "This bag is getting heavy...and no one's given us any candy at all yet!"

"Well, we weren't out for candy in the first place," Nancy pointed out.

"I know, but," Joe pouted. "A guy gets hungry doing things like this...especially on one of the biggest candy days of the year."

"Hey!" All three whirled around at the angry shout behind them. "He took my candy!" screamed a small girl in a princess costume, pointing at a boy in regular clothing rushing toward the three teens. As the boy grew closer, Frank stepped into his path to block him, but the kid didn't even slow down. Instead, he crashed into Frank, knocking them both down. Frank's bag of food and the bag of candy the thief held landed on the ground. Joe and Nancy immediately grabbed hold of the boy as he tried to stand.

"What do you think you're doing?" Joe demanded, looking sternly at the boy. "If you want candy, then get a bag and get your own, instead of stealing someone else's!"

"Sorry, mister," the kid mumbled. "I didn't really want the candy...but this woman told me to take it...she said she'd pay me five bucks if I did...and I need that five dollars to buy more Yu-Gi-Oh cards."

"Why would an adult pay five bucks for a bag of candy?" Nancy wondered aloud.

She turned as there was a tug at her coat. The young girl whose candy had been stolen was standing beside her. "Lady, can I have my candy back now?"

Nancy smiled, and nodded. The girl grabbed her candy bag and ran off down the street.

In the meantime, Frank stood up, and picked up his bag of food. "Well, whatever she wanted it for...that woman isn't going to get that candy. And you," he added, glancing sharply the candy thief, who was still standing there, hanging his head. "I would advise you not to do it again."

"Okay," the kid mumbled. Joe let him loose, and he immediately ran off, in the opposite direction of the young girl.

"Well...that made no sense," Joe commented.

"Yeah..." Nancy frowned, thinking. "What would make you pay money for stolen candy?" she asked again. Joe shrugged "A really big sweet craving?" he suggested. "I know it's weird, Nan, but we probably won't figure it out."

"Or maybe we will," Frank said slowly, as he spied an angry-looking woman stalking toward them.

"You!" she screeched as she drew closer. "How dare you! You interfered!"

"Interfered with what?" the elder Hardy asked cautiously.

"With that boy! He was supposed to run all the way down the block, but you got in the way!"

"Ma'am," Nancy said, trying to keep the surprise from her voice. "I don't see how stopping him from stealing that girl's candy was such a problem."

"He wasn't stealing it," the woman sputtered. "At least, not really...I hired him to rob my little girl, but he knew he was going to have to give the candy back once his scene was finished."

"Huh?" Joe asked, confusion written across his face. "Are you filming a movie or something?"

"No, you buffoon - we're not filming a movie...we're trying to get on TV!"

Nancy shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't follow," she stated slowly.

The mother sighed in exasperation. "We're trying to get onto that new TV show – 'Exciting Life Moments'...they've offered twenty-thousand dollars for the most exciting Halloween video."

"So you thought that if you staged a candy-bag theft, you might win," Frank said, the absurdity of the woman's plan dawning on him.

"Yes! But you interfered!"

"Well...I'm sure the producers of the show never intended for the videos to be staged."

"Oh, yes, but honestly...how else are you supposed to get an exciting Halloween video?"

"Have you ever considered just following your daughter around with a video camera?" Joe asked. "After all, I remember lots of exciting things happening when I was little and out trick-or-treating."

"Oh, like what?" the woman scoffed. "Getting a dime in your candy bucket?"

"Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of kidnapping, finding missing pets, staking out our yard to catch some pumpkin smashers..." Joe's voice trailed off as the woman looked at him incredulously. "Er...maybe my Halloween memories aren't the best example," he said, flushing. "But I'm sure something exciting will happen tonight that you won't have to stage."

"Do you still do things like that?" the woman inquired, curiosity evident in her voice.

"Well, yeah...and more. Car chases, getting shot at, jumping out of windows..." Joe shrugged. "But we're amateur detectives," he said, gesturing to include Frank and Nancy in his statement. "Things like that happen to us practically everyday. Getting to do the normal stuff sometimes seems more exciting."

"Are you _kidding!_" the woman shrieked. Frank, Joe, and Nancy winced at the sudden high pitch her voice had taken. "You could've won the 'Exciting Life Moments' jackpot every week in a row!"

"Uh...excuse us a moment," Frank said, grabbing Nancy's elbow. While Joe stood next to the woman, keeping an eye on her, Frank pulled Nancy aside. "What do we do?" he asked softly. "I don't think we'll be able to convince her she shouldn't be staging a video to win this TV thing...but I don't think the police would really want to deal with her either."

Nancy nodded in agreement. "Maybe we can ask them to join us for the evening?" she suggested. "That way, we keep an eye on her, so she can't stage any more candy thefts, her daughter gets to keep collecting candy, and we can keep getting things for the food pantry."

Frank sighed. "I guess we'll have to...Joe isn't going to be too fond of the idea, though..."

"Are you sure?" Nancy winked. "After all, he wanted to escort a kid around so that he'd get candy."

Frank chuckled. "You're right. He did, didn't he? Well, now he can get what he wished for." The pair walked back to the mother.

"Ma'am, if it's alright with you, we'd like to come along with you and your daughter while you trick-or-treat."

The woman shrugged lazily. "Sure. If your brother here is telling the truth, I won't need to waste five bucks on another candy-thief scene.

""Joe, what have you been telling her?" Frank hissed, as the four of them set off in the direction the woman's daughter had taken. The young girl had apparently noticed her mother's absence and was waiting a few houses away, tapping her foot in impatience.

"Oh, I just told her about all the cases we've solved around Halloween, that's all...I was trying to convince her having an excitement-free life can be a good thing."

Frank cast a worried glance at the older woman, who was walking a few paces ahead with Nancy. "I don't think your plan worked...and if something crazy doesn't happen tonight, something tells me this woman wouldn't hesitate to attempt to sue us on some ridiculous accusation or another."

_River Heights, IL_

"So..." the woman, who they had since learned was Mrs. Amelia Morris, began an hour later, "My daughter Angelina and I have been walking with you for an hour. So far, all you've done is collect food. When is exciting stuff going to happen?"

"Well..." Joe said, as a group of angry-looking thugs suddenly appeared around them on the street corner. "I'd say right about now."

"Oh, this is good," Mrs. Morris breathed, as she pulled out her video camera. "Are you going to fight these guys?"

"That's the idea," Frank grunted as he received a blow to the stomach from one of the goons. Reacting swiftly, while still doubled over, he grabbed the knee of his opponent, and yanked. The other man, not expecting an attack, fell backward, landing with a muffled "oof!" Frank immediately focused his attention on another thug who was approaching him.

"Any idea why they're attacking you?" Mrs. Norris called out, as Nancy dodged a kick, before retaliating with a few judo moves.

"Does it matter right now?" Joe growled as he moved past her, scuffling one of the goons.

"Well, no, but-"

"THEN STOP VIDEOTAPING AND GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Frank hollered as more enemies joined the group. _Who the heck are these guys?_ He wondered as he blocked a punch.

"Frank, we haven't ticked anyone off lately, have we?" Joe called out as he knocked a thug unconscious.

"I was about to ask you that, little brother," Frank replied, sending a powerful karate kick in the direction of the nearest opponent.

Nancy ignored the brothers' comments, preferring not to risk distraction. All of her energy was focused on fighting those in front of her, and she didn't notice the one coming up from behind.

"Nancy, look out!" Frank called out at the last possible second, and Nancy, reacting instinctively, ducked. The branch held by the thug behind her swished through the air harmlessly.

"Oh, this is so exciting!" Mrs. Morris squealed, even as young Angelina hid behind her mother in fear. "This will definitely win us the jackpot on 'Exciting Life Moments!'"

The fight continued for a few more moments, before Frank, Nancy, and Joe managed to subdue their foes.

"Let's find out who these idiots are working for," Joe said, rummaging through one goon's pockets. He pulled out a business card.

"Wait a minute," he said, his brow crinkling in confusion. "This makes no sense,"

"What is it, Joe?"

Wordlessly, Joe handed the card to Frank. "'Congratulations,'" Frank read aloud.

"Congratulations?" Nancy asked.

Frank shrugged. "That's all it says."

"This night just keeps getting weirder and weirder..." Joe muttered.

Nancy looked over at Mrs. Morris. "This isn't some stunt you set up, is it?" she asked, though she sincerely doubted it.

The older woman shook her head. "No...I almost wish I had, though. This is great stuff!"

"Ok, so we get attacked by a bunch of goons...and when we look for ID, all we get is a card that says 'Congratulations'?" Frank shook his head. "Let's check the others."

However, searching the pockets of the other thugs proved fruitless. "Well..." Nancy said, as she gathered up the pieces of her costume she'd lost during the fight. "I'm stumped. What about you guys?"

"Definitely," Joe agreed. He stooped down to pick up Frank's cap, dusted it off, and handed it to his brother. "I mean, there's usually a reason why we get attacked, not just random moments like this."

"I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't someone's idea of a twisted Halloween prank," Frank said angrily.

"Now, now, Frank...why be so testy?" A familiar figure strolled out of the shadows. "I dare say you three got a nice round of exercise...and Mrs. Morris here will have her video for that pathetic TV show."

The man turned to Mrs. Morris. "I suggest, madam, that you and your daughter vacate the area now. This is an official matter, and I assure you, if you try to remain, I will have you escorted home by one of my men."

Mrs. Morris nodded hurriedly, though it appeared she would far rather protest. When she and Angelina had hurried away, the man turned back to the three friends. "It's good to finally meet you in person, Miss Drew," the Gray Man said.

Nancy cast a puzzled glance at the brothers. "He's our Network contact, the Gray Man," Frank explained, glaring at the government agent. Though he's never pulled a stunt like this before."

"It was necessary, Frank," The Gray Man responded.

"Why?" Joe demanded. "What reason do you have for jumping us on Halloween, especially when we have a mother and daughter tagging along with us?"

"I assure you, Joe, it was not my original intention to proceed once you added Mrs. Morris to your group. However, it was not my decision to make. And those above me felt it would be beneficial to see how having helpless citizens nearby would affect your fighting strategy."

"So you're saying this was simply a test?" Frank ground out between clenched teeth.

"Essentially, yes."

"Why?"

"At this time, I cannot say. However, you have all passed with flying colors." The Gray Man smiled. "Congratulations. And Happy Halloween."

"Well," Joe muttered, as they watched the Gray Man walk away. "That answers nothing."

Frank shrugged. "It bothers me too...but I guess we'll learn when the Network's ready to tell us, and not before."

"Look at it this way, you two," Nancy said. "At least it's not some terrorist group out to get us." She put on her deerstalker cap and smiled. "Let's get on with our trick-or-treating and worry about it later."

"Can't argue with the great Sherlock Holmes," Joe said, though he and Frank still looked somewhat disgruntled about the Grey Man's actions, or rather, non-actions. "Let's go, big brother."

"You know," Frank said, as they walked off down the sidewalk, carrying their bags, "I really don't remember ever being kidnapped on Halloween, Joe..."


	2. Test 2

**Test 2**

_Hardy Residence, Bayport, NY_

"Thanks for inviting my father and I to Bayport for Thanksgiving dinner, Mr. Hardy," Nancy said warmly to the elder man as he took her coat from her.

"Think nothing of it, Nancy," Fenton Hardy replied, smiling at the girl.

"Yeah, Nan," Joe chimed in, as he helped Carson Drew hang up his coat and hat. "The Hardys and Drews have known each other so long, we're all practically family anyway."

Nancy grinned, her blue eyes twinkling merrily. "Too bad we aren't, Joe – sometimes I think an elder sister might do a better job of keeping you in line than Frank does…as far as the ladies are concerned, anyway."

"Are you implying I should have been born a girl?" Frank asked from somewhere behind her.

"No," she responded, turning to face him as warmth rushed to her cheeks. "But you have to admit, Joe's an outrageous flirt…if you _had_ been a girl, you could've taught him not to be."

Joe pretended to pout. "But I _like_ being an outrageous flirt," he protested, causing Nancy and Frank to laugh.

About an hour later, after Nancy and her father had placed their belongings in the guest bedrooms, and had a chance to freshen up, the Hardy and Drew families sat down to Thanksgiving dinner.

"Before we begin, how about we each go around the table to say what we're thankful for?" Nancy suggested.

"A good idea, Nancy," Frank commented. "Mind if I start?" The others shook their heads. "I'm thankful that it's been a week since Joe and I have been placed in life-threatening danger."

Joe, who was sitting next to his brother, took his turn next. "I'm thankful that Vanessa's not mad at me for my constant flirtations," he said, making everyone laugh.

"I'm thankful you boys aren't as involved in mysteries as much as you used to be."

"I'm thankful that Nancy and I have been here for an hour without her uncovering a mystery."

"I'll second that," Laura said with a smile, "or else she might've convinced Frank and Joe to join her…and just when would we have time for Thanksgiving dinner?" Everyone chuckled, though they knew the statement was true. Nancy, Frank, and Joe had missed several family holiday dinners due to cases.

"I third it," Fenton added. And now it was Nancy's turn.

"I'm thankful," the girl began, but was interrupted by the sound of shattering glass in the living room. With worried glances, the two families leapt from the table to investigate.

What they found was a broken window, which Fenton and Carson immediately began to examine, while Laura went to get a broom to sweep up the fallen glass, and a rock with a note tied around it.

Frank pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, and wrapped it carefully around his hand before untying the note, to avoid contaminating possible prints. When he pulled it off, he read it silently, before holding it out for his brother and Nancy to read.

**There are no prints on the rock. Your window will be repaired tomorrow. Be wary. – Mr. Gray**

"Well," Nancy said slowly, after she read the note. "I was going to say I was thankful that the Network has left us alone, without any more crazy tests….but I don't think I can say that now."

Joe's jaw tightened as he reread the note. "I really want to know what game they're playing at," he muttered.

"I think we'll find out soon enough," Frank told his little brother. "In the meantime, I think the turkey's getting cold, and I'm not letting the Network interrupt this holiday meal."

Everyone headed back to the dining room, though the jovial atmosphere had evaporated somewhat. For the first few moments of the meal, things were silent. Finally, Joe spoke.

"Where's Hannah, by the way?" he asked. The Drew housekeeper was considered as much a part of the family as Nancy and her father were, as far as the young man was concerned. He knew his family cared about the older woman as well.

"She's off visiting relatives in Colorado," Nancy responded. "But she sends her greetings."

With conversation going again, the group slowly relaxed and enjoyed the meal.

After dinner, Nancy helped Frank store the leftovers while Joe did the dishes. "Hey, look," Frank said, holding up the wishbone. "Want to make a wish?"

"Sure." Nancy found herself blushing faintly as his hand brushed hers when they grasped the bone.

"On the count of three," Frank warned. Joe turned to watch the scene with amusement, noticing his brother also bore a faint blush. "One….two…three!"

They both pulled, the bone snapped, and Nancy held the larger half. "What'd you wish for?" Frank asked curiously. She smiled coyly at him.

"A woman never shares her secrets, Frank…especially not wishes, which must remain secret, or else not come true."

"Oh, come on," Joe protested. He too was curious about Nancy's wish. "You can tell us." Nancy glanced at the pair of them, and she blushed again when her eyes met Frank's.

"Nope," she said, turning her gaze back to Joe and grinning. "You won't learn what my wish was unless the Bayport High Band plays something other than their version of "Joy to the World" tomorrow."

Both boys groaned. The Bayport Santa parade had been a tradition for several years…and the Bayport High Band, which marched in it, never deviated from their standard tune.

"And now," she said, yawning, "I think I'll turn in…good night, boys."

"Night, Nancy," they chorused, their disappointment plain on their faces.

_Downtown Bayport, NY_

The next day, however, Joe was gloating. "You have to tell us now," he pointed out as Nancy continued to shake her head.

Frank, Joe, and Nancy had woken earlier that morning to make it downtown for the annual Santa parade. Though the morning was chilly, they didn't mind, because the parade was entertaining. Now, the Bayport High band was passing, and Joe fully intended to make Nancy reveal her wish, as the band was _not_ playing "Joy to the World."

"How was I supposed to know the band was under a new director?" she protested.

"Doesn't matter. You only said they had to play something different than "Joy to the World….and that sure sounds like "Jingle Bell Rock"…so spill."

Nancy crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. "No way," she responded.

"You made a promise," Joe said, smirking. Then his smirk changed to an expression of shock. "No…" he exclaimed, as Nancy suddenly grinned widely. "Oh, this is not fair!"

The band, though it originally had been playing "Jingle Bell Rock" had switched mid-tune to a jazzy version of "Joy to the World"…apparently, their new marching tune was a medley of Christmas songs.

"It's just our tough luck, little brother," Frank said, his tone a mixture of disappointment and amusement.

"That shouldn't count!" Joe protested. Before Nancy could reply, however, a scream pierced the air.

All three teens swiveled around, searching for the source of the sound. A short distance from them, one of the floats was stopped. The crowd, Frank noticed, seemed to be moving in that direction, so he motioned that he, Joe, and Nancy should do the same.

"Excuse me, excuse me," they chorused as they moved to closer to the stopped float, to see what was the disturbance. Joe plucked the sleeve of a man standing near the scene.

"What's going on?"

"Some crazy guy ran out of nowhere and jumped onto the float!" The man exclaimed, pointing.

Joe frowned. _People don't just leap onto floats unless they want to cause trouble…_He turned to face his brother and Nancy. "Let's get closer," he suggested.

"Sir, please...come down from there," a policeman was pleading as Joe, Frank, and Nancy approached the float.

On seeing the three teenagers, the man began shouting incomprehensibly, waving a knife around. "Guess he doesn't like us," Joe muttered to Frank and Nancy.

"Stay back!" The policeman attempted to restrain them as they drew nearer to the float, but they easily evaded him, and clambered aboard.

"Don't come closer!" The man yelled, brandishing his knife at them.

"Hey, relax," Frank said soothingly. "We just want to talk."

"Well, maybe I don't..." The man gave no warning before he leapt down among them.

"Look out, Joe!" Nancy cried as their assailant landed in the middle of the group. Joe jumped back in time to narrowly avoid being grazed by the man's knife.

"C'mon pal," Joe said. "You don't want to do this."

"Three against one," Frank added. "Your odds aren't good."

"Wanna bet?" The man growled, spinning toward Nancy and swinging the knife through the air in a downward arc. She stepped back, but not fast enough to avoid getting nicked. She hissed in pain.

The two Hardy brothers immediately jumped into action, Frank lashing out with a karate kick to the man's knee, and Joe aiming a chop at the man's wrist, hoping to make him drop the knife.

"Ha! Have to do better than that, boys!" The man laughed at them as he blocked them both simultaneously. The boys exchanged startled looks. Clearly, this man had been professionally trained somewhere.

Nancy, meanwhile, made an attempt of her own. Since the man was seemingly giving his full attention to the Hardys, she issued a swift judo kick of her own.

Without even thinking about it, the man reached forward with lightning speed, and grabbed her leg. He twisted it sharply, causing her to lose her balance and fall rather painfully. She stood up again, but with difficulty.

"Okay pal," Joe growled. "This has gone quite far enough." He nodded to Frank, and once more, both brothers moved together to take the man down. This time, they were successful.

Suddenly, a shrill, piercing whistle cut through the air. The man suddenly stopped struggling, and released his knife.

"Let me up," he grunted. "I give."

However, as they helped him stand, he broke free of their hold, leapt from the float, and took off into the crowd.

They attempted to pursue him, but the crowd was large and most of the people were so confused by the whole situation that they didn't move out of the way easily. By the time the Hardys and Nancy, who was limping slightly due to her sore leg, had made it through the crowd, the man had vanished.

"Scuse me?" said a voice to their right. The three teens turned around to see a small boy holding something out toward them. "The man said I should give this to you."

Frank reached out and took the object from the boy - it was a small flag, similar to the ones that venders were selling to the parade-goers. However, wrapped around it was a slip of paper, which, when Frank pulled off, unfurled to reveal a single word.

"'Congratulations,'" Joe read aloud, his jaw clenched. He glanced at the other two. "So this was another Network test."

"Well," said Nancy, wincing as another stab of pain shot through her leg - she guessed that maybe a muscle had been pulled - "I sure hope that's the last one."


	3. Test 3

**Test 3**

_River Heights, IL_

"So, what made you decide to spend the beginning of your break here in River Heights?" Nancy asked the Hardys as the three biked along Riverside Trail. It was an unusually warm December day, and the three were taking full advantage of it. That morning, they'd set out to ride the grueling, ten-mile trail alongside the DuPage River. At the moment, they were biking in single file along a narrow section of the trail that overlooked the river. A few inches from the right side of the trail was a steep, almost vertical slope to the riverbank. On the left side the steep incline continued upwards for several more feet. She felt a slight twinge of worry about the fact that there was no guardrail in this area, but pushed it aside. For such a rough trail, there were only a small number of accidents reported each year.

"Well, Nan, someone has to keep you out of trouble."

Nancy laughed. "Oh, and you're the ones to do it?"

"Of course. The Hardy brothers are by far the best bodyguards and mystery solvers. Therefore, we can easily solve any of your cases, thereby keeping you out of trouble. And," Joe winked, "we'll look cute doing it."

"M-hmmm." Nancy said, thoughtfully. "The best, eh? All right, Joe – care to make a little wager? You two keep me "out of trouble" from now until I go with you to Bayport for the rest of break, and let's see…."

"You introduce me to one of your famous model friends?" Joe asked hopefully.

"Now, Joe," Frank began, but he stopped talking as another bicyclist came into view. Whoever the cyclist was, he or she was riding a black speed bike on the left side of the trail and was racing toward them. As the cyclist drew nearer, Frank realized they had no intention of pulling over to let the Hardys and Nancy pass. "Quick," he cried, as he himself swerved over as far as he could, and then braked. "Move over!"

The cyclist sped past Frank and Joe, who had also managed to veer over in time. Nancy, however, wasn't able to move over in time. In desperation, she pitched herself off the bike as the other rider whooshed past. Nancy and her bike thudded into the ground, and before Nancy could stop herself, she rolled even further to the right – right over the edge!

_Network_ _Building, Chicago, IL_

Agent Johnson prided himself on a job well done. And, in his opinion, this particular assignment was going extremely well. A certain underling of his, however, Agent Carter, seemed to believe otherwise.

"Sir, we can't just keep testing these three like this! The Hardys have proven themselves multiple times, and they've already worked a number of missions for us." The young man protested after Johnson ordered him to contact Agent Gray. The Hardy's contact agent would need to be ready and waiting to greet the Hardys and Miss Drew, and congratulate on passing the third test – if they passed. Secretly, Johnson doubted their luck would hold for much longer, though he wisely chose to keep this to himself at the moment.

"Yes, but we've had little opportunity to evaluate the Hardys and Miss Drew as a team, or to evaluate Miss Drew, for that matter. Besides, all future Network agents go through a testing procedure."

"That's how you got Gray to agree to this, I know…even if he finds the Hardys methods unconventional and slightly rash, he still acknowledges they get the job done. But that can't be your real reason."

"And why not?"

"Because you've been dead-set against the Hardys ever working with this agency from the beginning."

"So what if I have? A man can have a change of heart, Carter."

"You?" The other operative snorted. "Not likely."

"Fine. You're right. I _don't_ want the Hardys any more involved than they are, and I _definitely_ don't want Miss Drew involved, if I can prevent it. They're nothing but kids. Meddling, nosy, impulsive _kids._ They have no place in the intelligence business, or even playing detective. It's work better left to the professionals."

"Then why test them at all?"

Johnson displayed a thin, cruel smile. "To prove that the errand boys, and their little friend, do not belong here. All of their previous exploits were successful because of luck and, on occasion, outside help. Luck doesn't hold, forever, Carter, especially not when you work for this agency. If the Hardys have any real skill, which I doubt, then it will emerge during these tests."

He heaved a sigh. "Not to mention the higher-ups demand it. They seem to believe the kids have "potential." Now, Carter, why don't you go to tell Gray to see if his little protégés survived their latest exam?"

"Yes, sir…but why did he fly here from New York for this anyway? He'll only be going back as soon as he's given them the news."

"If I had a choice, he wouldn't be here. But the higher-ups feel that Gray needs to show up and deliver the Network's opinion of each test because the kids are familiar with him. They're more likely to believe what the Network says if it's coming from the mouth of an agent they know."

_River Heights, IL_

"Nancy!" The other cyclist forgotten, the Hardys immediately rushed over to the edge. They both heaved a sigh of relief when they realized their friend had managed to stop her fall down the slope by grabbing at a rock jutting from the side of the incline. Her grip appeared tenuous, though, as her fingers slipped a tiny bit even as they watched.

"Hang on, Nancy," Frank said, his heart pounding in his ears. "We'll have you back up here a moment."

"I sure hope so," she gasped painfully, as her fingers slipped again and she adjusted her grip. "I _really_ don't want to roll down this hill and into that river."

"Gotta love this girl," Joe told his brother as he lay down against the ground to reach over the edge. Frank moved behind Joe to anchor him. "Even in a dangerous situation, she's still making cracks."

"Yeah, well-" Nancy began to reply, but instead let out a frightened gasp her grasp on the rock slipped even more and she slid an inch or two further down the slope. She glanced up at Joe, and all thoughts of joking fled his mind at her expression.

"Grab my wrist," he commanded, reaching toward her. Nancy reached up, and closed her fingers around his wrist. "Good. Now the other arm."

Nancy took a deep breath. _Come on, Drew, you've done this before…it'll work._ She let go of the rock rapidly, and flung her arm up to him. Had Joe not predicted Nancy would slip a little further once she let go of the rock and not stretched out his arm as much as possible, Nancy would not have managed to grab his wrist. As it was, he winced as she grabbed and her nails dug painfully into the skin.

"Okay, Frank," he grunted. "Time for you to help a little." He wriggled backwards, Frank keeping him steady, until Nancy's chest was level with the edge. Then Frank came forward, and grasped one of her arms, and both boys assisted Nancy back onto the trail. Frank couldn't stop himself from wrapping Nancy in a crushing hug.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he released her, a flush spreading across his face. She nodded weakly.

"You know," she said, wincing as she looking at her scraped fingers, and felt her arm muscles twinge, "as many times as that's happened to me, it never gets any less scary….or painful."

"I don't doubt it…" Joe laughed weakly. "Nan, I don't think I'll be taking you up on that bet of yours now."

She echoed his weak laugh. "I don't blame you, Joe." As she righted her bike, she glanced at the brothers. "Do you mind if we walk for a bit? I still feel a little shaky."

"Sure, Nan."

_River Heights, IL_

The three walked about a quarter of a mile further along the trail, when they spied a figure standing just ahead of them. They hesitated momentarily, exchanging uncertain glances before moving forward to greet the person.

"You again," Joe spat as they came within earshot.

"Yes," the Gray Man responded. "And may I just say, that was excellent teamwork...however..." He paused. "Nancy is the lightest of the three of you. Consider what might have occurred if, for instance, Frank had gone over the edge instead."

"We would've saved him, just like he and I saved Nancy. We've done it before, we'll do it again." Joe growled. "And these games are getting on my nerves."

"Yes," said Frank, stepping forward. "The Network is beginning to act like the criminals we fight, not the anti-criminal organization we know. And this time, Nancy could have been seriously hurt or killed!"

"You've tested us three times now," Nancy said quietly, rubbing her arm and wincing. "But you still haven't told us why, or when these tests will stop...or how dangerous they'll become."

The Grey Man sighed. "I realize you three must be frustrated."

"I think 'pissed off' might be a more accurate description," Joe grumbled. The Grey Man offered a strained smile.

"Perhaps," he agreed quietly. "Until next time..."

"What, you mean you're just going to walk off again, no answers, no explanation, just a 'this could've been more dangerous, but congrats nonetheless?'' Joe exploded.

"Hi, honey. You're in grave danger. I'll see you next month." Nancy muttered under her breath. Somehow, the Buffy quote seemed rather applicable in their situation.

The Gray Man said nothing, but instead walked past them. Frank tried to stop him by grabbing his arm, but the elder Hardy was left sitting in the dirt, staring after the Network agent. "So much for that," he muttered, picking himself up.

"Well," Joe said wearily. "We'd better get moving and finish this trail. You up to riding again, Nan?"

She nodded, and the three set off, each lost in his or her own thoughts of what the Network might throw at them next….and when.

_Network_ _Building, Chicago, IL_

Logan scowled as Carter entered his office. "What is it?" he snapped.

Carter kept his voice calm and even as he spoke. "It seems Agent Gray missed his return flight back to New York…He claims that talking with Miss Drew and the Hardys took him longer than expected."

"When is he leaving, then?"

Carter shrugged. "Agent Gray has decided to remain here for an indeterminate period of time, although he provided me with an estimate."

"How long?"

"Until the next test has already begun."

"Doesn't he have work to do in New York?"

"Nothing that cannot be relegated to another agent, apparently."

"Fine. Then you will need to go out to New York on the next flight you can catch."

"Sir?" Carter asked, shock evident in his voice.

"If Gray has decided he wants to stick around, I can't prevent him from doing so. However, I _can_ send you out to New York. That way, at least someone will be around to make sure things run smoothly. The next test begins soon, and I want to make sure it's done right."

"In other words, you want the Hardys and Miss Drew to fail."

"I don't believe I said that, Carter….but I suppose you might interpret it that way. Regardless, you will go to New York and oversee things from there."

**A/N: Yes, it is possible to send Nancy over an edge like that – some areas of Northern IL are quite hilly thanks to glaciers and stuff in the past. **


	4. Test 4

**Test 4 **

_Downtown Bayport, NY_

"Brr..." Nancy shivered, and wrapped her arms around herself. "It's rather cold today...can't you wait to get your present for Vanessa until tomorrow?"

"Nope," Joe said from ahead of her. "I've got to get it today. She won't be in Bayport during Christmas week, which means I have only this week to find her gift, wrap it, and give it to her!"

Frank rolled his eyes. "You really know how to procrastinate, little brother."

Joe didn't say anything; he just kept pushing ahead through the crowd. A moment later, however, he stumbled as he bumped into an elderly woman.

"Oh, sorry, dear," the woman said cheerily, as Joe felt something being shoved into his palm. He watched the woman walk away, and then looked at what she had given him. Seeing that it was a folded piece of paper, he unfolded it as Frank and Nancy caught up to him.

"What's it say, Joe?" Nancy asked curiously, noting the angry expression on the younger Hardy's face.

"Time for test four," Joe said flatly, as several of the members in the crowd around them suddenly broke free of the mass of shoppers and closed in on them.

The fight was short and fast. Punches flew, and the martial arts skills of the three teens were put to good use….but it was clearly a losing battle. Joe heard muffled shouts from his brother and Nancy as things continued, but he was having problems of his own. He'd just been pinned to the ground by a burly guy with a ski mask on, and was having difficulty getting the guy off of him.

Joe looked around desperately as he struggled with his opponent, hoping that someone in the crowd would leap in and help. Instead, there seemed to be a small circle of onlookers. Beyond them, everything was chaos. Someone was screaming for police, and others were pushing each other to get away from the fighting. It was clear that no one was going to come to his aid.

Joe stopped struggling for a moment, and then surged upward, hoping to catch his foe off-guard. In fact, he didn't succeed. His enemy had been prepared for the ruse, and as Joe surged upward, his opponent delivered a brutal punch to Joe's head. The younger Hardy fell back, his head crashing into the pavement. The last thing Joe saw before blacking out was a triumphant gleam in his attacker's eyes.

_Hardy Residence, Bayport, NY_

Joe returned to consciousness with a pounding headache. He opened his eyes to see his father leaning over him, anxiety etched into the man's expression.

"Are you alright, son?" Fenton Hardy asked as Joe groaned.

"I feel like I've been hit with a sledgehammer, but I'll be okay. How are Frank and Nancy?"

Fenton's expression turned grave. "We don't know, Joe. They were apparently abducted just as you were knocked out. The police arrived and found only you, surrounded by a crowd. Your attackers were gone. Con Riley brought you home after you were checked out by a doctor on the scene. He said you could come in and give a statement when you were conscious and able."

"What!" Joe sat up quickly, but had to fall back when the pounding in his head increased. He winced. "Any leads?"

Fenton shook his head. "We interviewed as many witnesses as we could, but…"

"Would it be possible for me to interview them again?"

"Joe, it won't do any good."

"I don't care. I have to try." Joe sat up again, more slowly this time, and grimaced. "But first, I need to get some aspirin."

_Hotel Room, Unknown Location_

Nancy leaned against Frank, feeling as though she was going to throw up. Her whole body shook, and her head was killing her. "I really _hate_ being knocked out with drugs," she muttered.

Frank rubbed her back soothingly. "Well, on the bright side, they didn't tie us up!" he said, trying to keep his tone light. He grimaced, however, as he took in their surroundings: a tiny, dingy motel room that looked as though it hadn't been cleaned in months. "Why don't you lie down on the bed?" he suggested, noticing that Nancy was still shaking. "It looks somewhat clean...and you don't look so good."

Truth be told, Frank wasn't feeling too well himself, but he was in a better state than Nancy, who only nodded weakly, and moved to the bed, collapsing on it. Frank moved around, checking the room for possible exit points, but the vent was too small, the window was barred, and when he peeked out of the peephole, it was clear there were two very alert guards outside. With a sigh, he sat down on the bed beside Nancy. Neither of them was in any condition to fight the guards, and he hadn't been able to tell where they were from the view outside the window. _May as well just wait and see what happens,_ he thought.

"Frank..." Nancy said weakly, "I think...I think I'm going to..." Putting a hand over her mouth, she sprinted to the tiny bathroom. Frank didn't need to be told what was going to happen next. He followed her, and held her hair as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. The heaves finally stopped, and she flushed everything down. He released her to let her move to the sink and rinse her mouth out. "Thanks," she rasped, after she had done so. He smiled softly at her.

"No problem...let's get you back to the bed." She nodded, and they went back into the room and curled on the bed together.

Nancy's cheeks flamed as she curled up against Frank. She had never reacted so badly to a knock-out drug before, and even though Frank was being so understanding, she still wished it hadn't happened. With a small sigh, she closed her eyes, attempting to block out the relentless pounding in her head. Eventually, her breathing slowed, and she slept.

_Ugh..._Frank blinked wearily as he struggled to stay awake. He glanced down at Nancy, who was sleeping beside him_. Good. She needs the rest. I, on the other hand..._He couldn't let himself fall asleep, no matter how rotten he felt. They still didn't know why they were in this situation, and he wanted to be on guard for anything. He winced as particularly sharp pain shot through his head, and rubbed his eyes. _No matter how lousy I feel...I can't, I _won't_, go to sleep. I'll stay awake and endure it,_ he vowed.

_Hotel Hallway, Unknown Location_

"How are things going in there?" Carter asked the guards.

"Not a peep from them...they reacted rather badly to the drug, though...Drew fell asleep about three hours ago, and Hardy...well, if he's still awake, then he's doing a damn good job of faking sleep." one responded. The man nodded.

"Did they attempt to escape?"

"No sir...and given the way they acted when they regained consciousness, I would say that was a wise choice...they wouldn't have been any match for us, and you said not to harm them too badly..."

Carter smiled faintly. "Yes...those two have always been the smarter of the three. Which is precisely why the Network needs them." He turned and began walking away from the room. "Let me know if the situation changes," he called over his shoulder as he left. The guards looked at each other, shrugged, and resumed their card game, keeping part of their attention dedicated to the small monitor next to them, showing the slumbering pair on the other side of the door they sat in front of.

_Hotel Hallway, Unknown Location_

Frank woke with a groan and a sore back. _I fell asleep,_ he thought angrily, as he turned to check on Nancy. She still slumbered peacefully, and he took a minute to take in the view.

As he gazed at her, Nancy stirred slightly. Doing his best not to wake her further, Frank slowly extricated himself from her grasp, and got up. A glance at his watch revealed he and Nancy had been out for most of the night. _Damn,_ he thought frustratedly. _We might've missed a valuable escape opportunity..._

He walked over to the door and tested the lock slightly…the door opened, but as he'd suspected, the guards were still outside. "Hungry, Hardy?" one of them asked. "We can get you some food."

_What?_ Frank thought, confused. "Huh?" he said aloud, and then winced at his stupidity.

The guard shrugged. "Well, the boss says we aren't allowed to fight you unless you try to leave...and since your girlfriend is still asleep in there, I doubt you'll be trying to go anywhere anytime soon."

"Why are you holding us here?" Frank demanded. "What's going on?"

The other guard shrugged. "To be honest...we aren't too sure. But the man wants you to stay here, so stay you will...and no harm will come to you as long as you don't try to leave."

"This is ridiculous," Frank muttered. _If only Nancy were awake...we could probably take these two rather easily..._

"You're telling me, kid. But orders are orders, and I rather like my job...and if you're thinking of escape, I think it only fair to warn you that I'm an expert when it comes to tasers...and my buddy over there has an actual gun, in case the taser doesn't stop you."

_Hotel Room, Unknown Location_

Nancy knew the instant she woke that she was not in her room at home. _Where am I? _She wondered, taking a moment to try to recall what had happened before. Memories flashed in her mind, of walking with Frank, of being ambushed and a cloth being placed over her face...waking up in a dingy hotel room...getting sick...She flushed at the memory of the last one.

_On the bright side, _she mused, _I feel better now._She still felt drained, but the nausea and headache seemed to be gone.Warily, she opened an eye, to find the room empty. The sound of running water told her Frank was in the tiny bathroom.

_Right,_ she thought, sitting up and stretching. _Time to figure out where we are._ Moving rapidly, she performed a search very similar to Frank's from the day before. While she was looking out the peephole at the two guards, Frank emerged from the bathroom and came up behind her.

"They're armed," he said quietly in her ear, causing her to jump slightly. "Sorry," he apologized as she turned to face him.

"How do you know they're armed?"

"They told me," he said, with a shrug.

"And you trust them?"

Frank shrugged again. "I don't think we have much choice at the moment. Not until we have more information. Anyway, their boss wants us for an operation or something...no word yet on whether this boss is on the proper side of the law, though, and since he abducted us, I doubt he is."

Nancy took a moment to digest that information. So, we're being held hostage while we wait to speak to this 'boss'..."Frank," she said slowly, "did they say whether Joe kidnapped, too?"

He shook his head. "Apparently, he's still free. Their boss only wants us. So if we're lucky, Joe might be able to find us if we can't figure our own way out of here."

Nancy wasn't so sure of that, but she didn't want to say it. For a few moments, there was nothing but silence while both Frank and Nancy wondered what to say next. Then, Nancy's stomach rumbled.

Frank immediately got up and walked to the bedside table. He opened the drawer, and pulled out a package of saltine crackers. "Here," he said, tossing it to her. "Something light for now...apparently, we're getting a regular meal in a couple of hours."

He pulled a can of lemon-lime soda from the drawer as well, and walked over to hand it to her. She smiled at him gratefully, and eagerly tore open the package and devoured a handful of crackers.

_Hotel Room, Unknown Location_

Nancy lay on the bed, bored to tears. They'd been here for two days, and there was no sign of Joe or the man who'd hired the guards that kept watch outside their door. She barely glanced up anymore at the sounds of the old guards leaving and new guards coming - it happened every six hours, and she was already used to it.

She glanced at Frank, who was leaning back in the chair across from the bed, eyes closed. She couldn't tell if he was asleep or not, but if he was as tired as her, he probably was.

She sighed as she remembered their awkwardness the night before when they'd tried to determine how they would share the one bed...it hadn't been an issue the first night; neither had been thinking about their mutual interest in each other; they had only thought about how ill they felt, and their sheer exhaustion. But last night…

Last night was a nightmare. Frank had tried to be a gentleman, offering to sleep on the floor, but Nancy wasn't going to let him. There was no telling when they might have to fight, and if Frank were cramped from sleeping on the floor, he would not be at his best. And Frank disagreed with the idea of sleeping in shifts.

Nancy had argued it was a good move in their situation, but Frank seemed more concerned about her health, as she was still feeling weak, he'd suggested that perhaps she was actually ill, and there was no way he was going to let her lose sleep if she was. "You need all the rest you can get," he'd protested. Nancy frowned. Too bad he'd been right - she'd woken with a fever this morning and a very sore throat.

The arguing the night before had continued until Nancy had finally just crawled under the covers and told Frank he could sleep wherever he wanted to, but if he insisted on sleeping on the floor, he wasn't allowed to protest when she stepped on him in the morning.

He'd sighed, and crawled into bed himself, not fifteen minutes later, though Nancy noted how he carefully laid down on top of the sheet, so that even if they shifted in the night, they wouldn't be physically touching.


	5. Test 4 continued

**Test 4 continued**

_Hotel Room, Unknown Location_

"Nancy..."

"Hmm?"

She turned to face him, and her breath caught in her throat. He was staring at her intently, his deep brown eyes firmly locked on her own blue ones. "Do you…ever… wonder…about-"

He was interrupted by the sound of their door swinging open. "Suppertime, kids."

The guard brought in what looked like super-sized fast food meals on a thin plastic tray. "Here ya go," he said, setting the tray down on the bedside table. "Enjoy." He left the room.

Nancy glanced in the bag, and wrinkled her nose in disgust. She had no problems with fast food in general, but her stomach was already rebelling at the smell alone. "Hope you're hungry, Frank, cuz I'm not," she said, before turning away from the food.

"There's still some crackers and light soda in the drawer, I think" he said, as he walked over to inspect their dinners. She didn't miss the slight grimace that flickered across his face. However, he dug into one of the bags and pulled out a burger anyway. "And if we wipe as much grease and salt off the fries as we can, maybe you'll be able to eat some of them," he added, before taking a bite of his sandwich.

Nancy checked the drawer, and noticed that there were very few crackers left, and only one can of soda. She resolved to save the soda for later, in case her stomach needed settling, and began to eat the crackers. Afterwards, she carried the drink from her meal to the sink, dumped it out, and filled the cup with water. She downed half of it in one gulp.

"Better lie down again, Nan," Frank commented, watching her. She shook her head.

"I'll be okay, Frank. My throat's better, really."

"Yes, but your face is still flushed," he pointed out calmly. "Look, I know that you probably hate being sick in our predicament, but it can't be helped, so you need to take care of yourself."

"And where does that leave you, Frank? You'll be just as exhausted from worrying over me and from keeping watch for signs of rescue or chances to escape."

"I'll be all right," he said quietly. "I'm not the one running a fever." Nancy could tell from his stubborn expression that he wasn't going to give in, and she sighed.

"And if I refuse?"

"Well," he said, with a faint smile, "I'd hate to force you, but if I have to, I will."

She raised an eyebrow. "I'd like to see you try, buster. If I recall correctly, I can still flip you in a fight."

"Ah, but that's when you're in peak condition," he pointed out. "Right now, you're weak. You're sick and exhausted, and I would win. Just lie down already, Nan. Please. I promise, I'll go to bed like a good boy at a reasonable bedtime."

_Finally,_ Frank thought to himself as Nancy shot him one last glare before she curled up under the covers. _I know she's not happy about it, but she needs her rest._ He watched as she shifted, trying to find a position that was comfortable.

"Mphf," she muttered fifteen minutes later, still shifting about.

"Problems?" he asked softly.

She sighed in response. "I'm cold," she admitted. "And this bed isn't very comfortable."

Without a word, Frank got up from his seat in the chair and walked to the door. Opening it, he quietly asked one of the guards if they had an extra blanket. He came back into the room, shaking his head, and walked over to the bed. "Shove over," he ordered.

"What?" Nancy asked, startled.

"They can't get you an extra blanket for a little bit. So you're going to lean against me, and I'll keep you warm until then."

"You'll get sick too," she pointed out, shivering again, and hiking the blankets up further around herself.

"I don't care. Scoot." She shifted over, and Frank climbed into bed, and then pulled her close against him. For a moment she tensed at the contact, but as she began to warm up, she relaxed.

"Thanks," she mumbled sleepily.

"Don't mention it."

_Hardy Residence, Bayport, NY_

Joe let his head fall onto his desk in frustration. _Two and a half days..._That was how long Frank and Nancy had been missing. And the trail was running cold.

Joe sighed, and returned his gaze to the computer screen...so far, he had statements from everyone who'd been around when Frank and Nancy were taken...and almost none of it matched. _This one saw two guys, that one saw three...he says blue jackets...she says green...argh!_

About the only thing everyone agreed on was that Frank and Nancy, just like Joe, hadn't expected anything to happen. They recalled seeing the three get ambushed, and then, while Joe was occupied with someone, some men dragged Frank and Nancy away.

_Network_ _Building, Chicago, IL_

"How are they doing?" Johnson asked over the radio.

"It's all on the video feed, sir."

"Yes, but you interact with them somewhat. You can tell me things the video feed doesn't."

"There are moments, sir. But no more than observation from previous cases has provided."

"Damn," he muttered under his breath. "I was hoping..."

"Hoping what, Johnson?" The Gray Man asked. Johnson jumped. He hadn't heard the other agent enter the room. "Hoping to find that the moment they are alone for extended periods of time, Frank and Nancy will fall into each other's arms?" the agent continued in a mocking tone.

Johnson scowled. "Why aren't you back in New York, Gray?"

The other man smiled. "My flight doesn't leave until tomorrow, Johnson. And I enjoy watching these kids frustrate you as much as they've frustrated me."

"Yeah, well, I don't want you in my office."

Gray shrugged. "Suit yourself. But don't underestimate them, Johnson. Those kids are good, even if you won't admit it." He walked out, seeming not to care that Johnson was glaring daggers at his back.

_Hotel Hallway, Unknown Location_

"You know, from everything the boss told us about this pair, I expected them to be snogging each other senseless by now," Hank commented to Larry.

They were the pair that Frank Nancy referred to as Guard Set 1, the ones who had been on duty when Frank and Nancy first awoke in their little hotel room.

"Yeah, well," Larry shrugged. "Guess they keep their hormones in check better than the big man thinks."

"Or maybe they know we're watching them?"

Larry scoffed. "Please. Anytime Hardy sticks his head out, we've had the monitor covered. And I saw them sweep the room for bugs and cameras - they didn't find anything."

"Or maybe that's what they're letting us think."

Larry rolled his eyes at his partner. "Hank, you're being overly paranoid. These two know nothing. My guess is that the boss heard about some sort of spark between them, and figured that meant they were two horny teenagers always eager for a go at each other. And that's all we're saying on that particular subject."

_Hotel Room, Unknown Location_

_Nancy_ _is really a grump when she's sick,_ Frank thought in exasperation. Nancy was one of his friends, definitely, and when he let himself admit it, there was the chance they might one day be more than friends...but that didn't mean he was going to tolerate much more of this_. Doesn't she get it that I'm just as bored as she is? And since she can scarcely talk thanks to her sore throat, all I get to do is sleep, think, or watch her glare at me..._

He glanced over at the titian-haired detective-in-question, and sure enough, she did not look happy. _Then again...maybe it's my imagination. She might not be glaring at me...but whether she's angry or not, that is not the sunny face of Nancy Drew that I know and love..._Frank rubbed his eyes, trying to figure out what to do. He'd asked the guards for a book, a crossword puzzle, anything that might cure their boredom...and received a very uncaring "No" in response.

_Whatever idiot put us in this situation should just make up his blasted mind what to do with us already, _he grumbled inwardly. While Nancy didn't seem to be seriously ill, she wasn't exactly able to do much beyond sleep and empty the contents of her stomach now and then...and neither of them did well with boredom, given how exciting their lives usually were. _Joe, whatever you're doing to find us, little brother, you better do it faster..._

_Hardy Residence, Bayport, NY_

There was a knock on his door. "Come in," Joe called, without removing his head from its resting place on his desk.

"Any luck, son?" Fenton asked as he entered. The younger Hardy sighed.

"It's hard, Dad...all of the witness statements are conflicting...and even though I searched the scenes for clues, I didn't really get anything."

"Son, have you checked to see if any of the stores in the area have security footage of the incident?"

Joe nodded. "But I have to wait a bit...none of the stores will show me their footage until Chief Collig speaks to them."

_Friendly's Hardware, Bayport, NY_

"Luck be a lady," Joe muttered the next day, as he sat in the back room of Friendly's Hardware, and slid the security tape into the VCR. He licked his lips nervously as he hit the play button.

"Come on," he groused as he fast-forwarded the tape, looking for the right time. He nearly missed it, but he managed to hit pause just in time.

The fight played out much as Joe remembered it. As the end of the fight drew near, he began to play the tape frame by frame.

"Bingo," he whispered as one of the men responsible for Frank and Nancy's disappearance glanced in the direction of the camera. He grinned. "Now the police can make a printout of your face, buddy."

He held his breath, continuing to watch and hoping that one of the other men would also be caught on camera. None of them turned enough to get even a partial glimpse of their face, except for that first man. However, Joe felt a surge of elation as he realized, when the man faced away from the camera again, that he had lettering against his jacket.

Joe paused the tape, and leaned forward, squinting. A surge of triumph ran through him as he realized that the lettering was actually easy to read. "Guyman's Gas and Auto Repair," he read aloud, as he pulled a notebook and pen from his back pocket. Quickly, he wrote the words down, and then he ejected the tape. Time for a trip to the police station.


	6. Test 4 still continued

**Test 4 continued**

_Hotel Room, Unknown Location_

"Frank..." Nancy mumbled hoarsely. "Talk to me. Or sing. Something."

"What?" he asked, startled.

"I'm going stir-crazy, Frank...and I'm not tired at all, so I need to focus on something. So just…do whatever comes to mind. Please."

Frank sighed. "Nan, I'm not sure...you should be resting..."

"Frank, I've done nothing but rest since the first day. I don't care if you sing worse than a bullfrog, or if you do a rotten Bogart impersonation, I just want something to focus on."

Frank groaned inwardly. "All right...any requests?"

Nancy smirked. "Joy to the World."

He played the innocent, keeping his expression blank as he asked, "Which one?"

Nancy tossed a pillow at him, grimacing when it landed a few feet short. "Jeremiah was a bullfrog," she prompted him.

"And just why do you want me to sing that? I'm not even sure I know all the words..." he hedged. _Oh please let her pick something else... _

"Doesn't matter. Sing."

Frank cleared his throat, shooting Nancy a dark gaze as he began. "Jeremiah was a bullfrog," he began, but Nancy interrupted him.

"Louder!"

"You sound like a bullfrog, croaking out those directives."

"Well, I am the one being entertained...if I can't hear you, then I have a right to demand a volume increase...and I'll have you know, mister, that my voice does not sound like a bullfrog." Nancy paused a moment, screwing her face up in concentration, before she emitted a loud noise very reminiscent of a bullfrog. "That's what a bullfrog sounds like." _Ouch..._she added inwardly, trying not to grimace. That little joke had _hurt_.

"Fine," he responded, glowering at her. "But once you're well..." he threatened.

"Then you may get revenge as you see fit," she answered sweetly. "Now, sing."

"Jeremiah was a bullfrog," he repeated himself, but making sure to be louder. "He was a good friend of mine...I never understood a single word he said..."

Nancy closed her eyes as Frank's slightly husky baritone washed over her. She smiled faintly as the lyrics continued, suddenly feeling much less cranky, and most definitely not bored. _I miss being sung to..._she realized as she lay there. "Chorus," she murmured, as he paused. He'd had a hopeful expression on his face, as though he thought he could get away with just the first verse.

"Joy to the world...all the boys and girls..." _I hope she gets tired of this soon..._"Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea..."

"Joy to you and me," Nancy joined in on the last line, causing Frank to frown at her, and stop.

"Hey, no singing from you, Ms. Drew," he ordered. "Rest your voice."

"Hey...Scully didn't tell Mulder to stop..." she mumbled back.

"I don't really recall Mulder singing in that episode..."

"It was the _best_ part. How could you forget?"

"It was Scully singing, Nan."

"Was it?"

"Yes, Nan, it was Scully...Now, may I continue or do you have another request?"

"Keep going," she grumbled. "Though I still think Mulder sang in that episode..."

_Easy, Frank..._he scolded himself, fighting the urge to walk over and check her forehead. _It's a TV episode...those are easy to mix up details of..._

"And if I were king of the world..." he began again, but Nancy interrupted him almost immediately.

"I'm King of the World!" she crowed, before giggling faintly.

_Ok,_ he decided. _That's it..._He moved swiftly over to the bed, and placed a hand against Nancy's forehead, ignoring her protests that she was fine, it was only a tiny fever..."You're burning up," he said softly. He gently moved his hand to her throat, checking the glands for swelling, and noting the heat there as well. "I'll be right back."

_This is getting ridiculous,_ he fumed as he did his best to avoid stomping over to the door of their room. _She's sick, we've been here for four days, and they haven't even offered us anything to help out!_ "Hey," he said sharply, as he opened the door to the two guards, the pair dubbed Guard Set Two.

The heavier one of the two cracked a grin at him. "Hey Hardy...heard you singing...thinking of trying for American Idol when you get out of here?"

If looks could kill, the guard would have died then. "Look, you dolts," Frank growled. "We've been patient. We're behaving. But Nancy is sick, and I can't even be sure how bad her fever is. The least you could do is get a thermometer for us."

"Sorry, bud," the other guard said with a shrug. "Boss' orders. We don't offer you anything whatsoever beyond food, bedding, and hygene products. Other than that, you're on your own."

"I don't give a damn about your orders," Frank said icily, advancing on the guard. "I care about my friend, and she's sick, and you don't seem to give a flying flip. So I'm thinking maybe it's time we got out of here."

It was at that second that he felt a stab of pain in the back of his leg, and then a much stronger surge of pain that washed over his entire body. _Taser..._ he realized as he collapsed, and cursed himself for having forgotten about the guard's partner being nearby. The guards picked him up roughly, and tossed him into the room.

"Frank?" Nancy called weakly. "What happened?"

"Nothing," he grunted. As soon as he was able, he stood, shakily, and moved toward the bathroom. He grabbed a washcloth from the towel rack, and wet it down, then took it in to Nancy. "Here," he said softly, laying it on her forehead. "That ought to help a little" He tucked her in as tightly as he could, then sat next to her on the bed. "Any more requests?"

"Are you sure you're okay, Frank?" Nancy's blue eyes searched his face worriedly.

"I'll be fine, Nan," he assured her, squeezing one of her hands lightly. "C'mon. There must be another song you want to humiliate me with."

She frowned thoughtfully for a moment, then shook her head. "Can't think of anything..."

"Alright...what about this, then?" He closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the lyrics, and then began to sing. "I give her all my love, that's all I do. And if you saw my love, you'd love her too..."

"Frank, I don't really want to hear about your feelings for Callie right now..." Nancy grumbled.

"Maybe I wasn't singing about Callie..." he said softly. Neither spoke for a moment. Then Nancy cleared her throat nervously.

"Does that mean you've got a girlfriend on the side I don't know about?" she asked, trying to sound playful.

Frank flushed. "No..." There was a moment of uncomfortable silence again, and this time Frank broke it. "Uh...so...request number three?"

"Anything without romance," Nancy responded, her mind swirling with the implications of the conversation that had just passed between them. _Is he saying what I think he's...no. He couldn't be...I just made him uncomfortable, that's all..._

"I think you just eliminated most of the songs in the world with that restriction, Nan," he teased.

"Frank, I don't care if you sing 'Great Green Globs', just sing something that isn't romance," she snapped, shocking herself and him with her irritation. _If he hadn't tried to sing that damn song, I wouldn't be irritated, though...so it's his fault._ She grimaced at her reasoning. "Sorry, Frank...just...please, no romance songs."

"Somehow, Nancy, I don't think, despite what you say, that hearing me sing about guts and eyes and such will make you feel any better..." he said with a faint grin.

As he thought she would, Nancy turned slightly green at the memory of the lyrics to "Great Green Globs" and Frank chuckled. "How 'bout I sing this, instead...and let me just say now...no laughing, okay?" He cleared his throat, and then began. "You've got a friend in me, you've got a friend in me..."

"I've changed my mind," Nancy grumbled. "Romance is fine...but _no_ Disney!"

"What's the matter with Disney?"

"I get the scenes stuck in my head...and we don't have the movie here for me to watch, much less a TV..."

"Alright, fine, no Disney. Hmm...okay, I've got it." He paused. "Anything but Disney, right?"

"Just sing, Frank."

"Okay..." he said, flushing slightly. "Here goes...Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it away...catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day..."

As Frank continued to sing, Nancy closed her eyes once more. _Yeah, he's singing a love song...but...it's kinda nice...relaxing..._she grinned slightly, hoping he didn't notice. _And his obvious embarrassment over it gives me plenty of blackmail material...not to mention it's cute..._Nancy found herself yawning slightly as Frank continued, and she curled up under the blankets. She yawned again, feeling sleep begin to settle in over her.

Nancy didn't realize it, but Frank was watching her as he sang. He noticed as her yawns grew more frequent, as her breathing slowed, and as she finally succumbed to sleep. He sang to the very end, for fear that stopping might wake her, but he finished very softly.

_Hardy Residence, Bayport, NY_

"Goddamnit!" Joe pounded his fist against the desk. Although the security tape had proved quite helpful, he still had to locate where the garage advertised on the kidnapper's jacket was located...which was proving difficult indeed.

"How can you have jackets advertising a business, and yet not have an ad online or in the bloody phone book?" he grumbled.

He slumped back in his chair with a sigh, massaging his temples lightly with his fingertips. _Think, Hardy, think!_

"Alright," he muttered to himself. "Frank and Nancy have been missing for four days. Now, I have a photo of one of the kidnappers, but he's not in any state or federal criminal database. Which means he's either been overlooked by the system - unlikely - or he's never been arrested. His jacket advertises a garage that I can't locate, and that's where I need to go to stay on the trail. There's no ransom note or call. No contact from Frank and Nancy, which means they are unable to escape or communicate."

_Or they're dead,_ whispered a tiny voice at the back of his mind, but Joe refused to voice that option aloud.

"Time to call in reinforcements," Joe decided. He didn't mean the police - Chief Collig already had officers working on the case. He reached for the phone, deciding to call Tony first.

_Hardy Residence, Bayport, NY_

"Alright," Joe said, two hours later, when he had all the gang gathered in the living room. He'd briefed them all on what he knew so far, and now was the time for action. "Here's what we're going to do. If we're lucky, the garage this guy worked for is near Bayport. We know it's not in Bayport itself; we would have heard of it. So, we're going to search all the neighboring cities. If anyone spots the garage, give me a call...I'm going to stay here so we have someone near the phone."

"You're not coming out with us?" Tony asked in surprise.

Joe shook his head. "The Chief may locate the place before you do. In which case, I'll call all of you back, and then I'll go there myself."

He held up a computer printout. "Now, I've made a list of towns for you to search...Biff, Callie - you two will go through Eastport. " The pair nodded. He gave out the other assignments, and then everyone left, and Joe was alone,

The next few hours were unbearable. He couldn't sit still. Every few minutes, he jumped up to make sure the phone wasn't off the hook, or unplugged. One of his friends was bound to find the garage, if the Bayport police didn't. They just had to.

Finally, the phone rang. "Joe," came the voice of Ezra Collig on the other end of the line. "We found it...we're in the process of obtaining the proper paperwork - we'll be able to go out tomorrow and search the garage."

"Thanks, Chief," Joe said, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. "Where's it at?"

Collig gave him the address, and Joe jotted it down. Once he was off the phone with the Chief, he began calling his friends back, one by one. With a glance at his watch, he realized it was nearly midnight.

_Damn,_ he thought. _I can't go tonight..._Eager though he was to move on with the case, Joe knew that he would be no help to Frank and Nancy if he was exhausted when he found them, especially if things got rough. _First thing in the morning, big brother,_ he promised silently. _I'm coming after you._

_Guyman's Gas and Auto Repair, Northport, NY_

_I've tracked them this far...I can't give up now..._Joe looked around in near-despair. Thanks to Chief Collig, he'd tracked his brother and Nancy's kidnappers to Northport, but this certainly didn't seem like a friendly part of town. _If they are here...I may have a lot of trouble finding them...assuming they're in Northport at all...Guyman's Gas and Auto Repair is here, but…_

He pushed the thought to the back of his mind, and instead walked up to the gas station. Trying not to appear too out-of-place and nervous, he casually strolled into the store portion and up to the counter. The man behind it eyed him warily.

"Whaddya want, kid?"

"I need your help, if possible." Joe pulled out the security camera images of the attackers, and a photo of Frank and Nancy. "Have you seen any of these people?"

"Why's it matter?"

"My brother and my friend have disappeared. I'm trying to track them down."

"These two?" The man asked, pointing at the photo of Frank and Nancy with a grubby finger.

"Yeah...have you seen them?"

"Nope...they don't look like the type you'd see around here, not usually, anyways."

"What about the others?"

"Well..." the man glanced at the pictures. "Nope. Not even the one wearing the jacket for this place...then again, I only began working here a year ago."

"Thanks," Joe said, trying not to let his disappointment show. He turned to leave.

"Hey, kid!"

"Yeah?" Joe turned, his expression hopeful.

"Try asking around at the Happy Jack Inn...they usually get the drifters through this part of town."

"Thanks."

_Happy_ _Jack Inn...why do I get the feeling it's not the type of inn where overnight stays are common? _Joe thought to himself as he walked back to the van. He started it up and pulled away. It wasn't until he'd already driven for a few blocks that he realized he'd forgotten to ask where the inn was. _Guess I'll try driving around a bit first, see if it's nearby...if not, I can always go back to the gas station and ask for directions._

_Happy Jack Inn, Northport, NY_

A few minutes later, he noticed a gaudy neon sign of a grinning figure, similar to the ones on a deck of cards. On the Jack, to be exact...Joe's eyes widened as he realized he had found the inn_. I think I was right about this place,_ he mused as he parked the van and got out. I _doubt if they have more than thirty rooms..._He approached the little building cautiously, continually checking his surroundings.

_Well,_ Joe thought, as he entered through the grimy glass doors. _Whether I'm right or not, this place certainly doesn't get much business..._He took in the beer can lying in one corner of the lobby, and the overflowing cigarette trays. _Either that or they need to fire their housekeepers. _Swallowing his disgust, Joe approached the check-in desk.

"Where's your date, sugar?" the woman behind the counter asked. "We don't provide 'em, ya know."

"I...actually, uh...was looking for someone who might be staying here."

"Sorry, hun. We keep our customers' privacy."

"I see...may I take a look around?"

She shrugged. "Whatever. But I doubt you'll find who you're looking for."

_And you're probably right..._Joe thought. Nevertheless, he started down one of the hallways. He didn't get ten feet before he heard a commotion behind him. Turning, he noticed two things: the woman from the registration counter was now aiming a gun at him...and there were other individuals closing in fast.

_On second thought,_ he mused grimly. _Maybe I was wrong._

Joe spun quickly, and began sprinting down the hallway. A gunshot pierced the wall beside him, and he flinched, but kept going. _I've got to find some way to even up the odds, _he thought. Another shot whizzed past his ear, and he swore, ducking low and trying to maintain his speed. He sprinted around the corner at the end of the hall, and was brought up short by someone. Stumbling back, Joe realized things had just gotten worse.

"Well, well...looks like the younger Hardy does have brains as well as brawn," Joe's new opponent gloated. Joe glowered at him, glancing back to see that his other pursuers were closing in. _How do I get out of this?_ he wondered.


	7. Final Chapter

**Final Chapter**

_Hotel Room, Happy Jack Inn, Northport NY_

"Frank?" Nancy shot upright in the bed, her heart pounding. "Did you just hear what I heard?"

"Gunshots!" he exclaimed, exchanging a worried glance with her. He jumped from his position in the chair, and ran to the door, but was shoved backward by the two guards who entered.

"Now, now, kiddies, just stay here and you won't get hurt."

"What's going on?" Frank demanded.

"Your little brother proved to be more intelligent than we gave him credit for."

_Joe..._Frank's heart plummeted to his stomach as he caught the panicked expression on Nancy's face. He knew it matched his own. _Please be okay, little brother..._

_Hotel Hallway, Happy Jack Inn, Northport, NY_

_Okay, so there's four of them, one of me...these are not good odds, Hardy..._Joe looked around frantically, but there was no way out of this. The corner was L-shaped, so there was no other corridor he could escape to, and these guys were closing in fast. _When the odds are against you...go with the completely ridiculous, _he decided. He waited until the other three were nearly upon him, and then shot his legs out, allowing himself to sink to the ground in a split. _Ouch..._he groaned. _Haven't done that_ _in a while..._

His move caught his attackers off-guard, and two of them went down after they tripped over his legs. But now Joe was on the floor and there were still two to worry about, one of whom had a gun. He got to his feet as fast as he could, and prepared to take them on.

"Oh, please..." said the woman. "You really expect us to fistfight when I have this?"

She brandished the gun lazily, but jerked it back as Joe aimed a kick at her wrist that he'd hoped would force her to drop it.

_If she was really going to shoot me,_ Joe realized as she pointed it at him again. _She would've done so._

"If you're going to shoot me, then just do it," Joe said, hoping to distract her.

"Good idea," she said in response. _Whoops..._

"Edna! You can't!" cried the man who'd stopped Joe's mad dash. "The boss said-"

"A word of advice," Joe commented, as he executed a karate chop to the woman's wrist, forcing her to drop the gun. He scooped it up quickly. "Argue about what the boss said after you've subdued your enemy."

He grinned as the thugs looked at him in shock. _Hardy, one._ _Goons, zero,_ he thought happily. "Now," he said, gesturing with casualness he certainly didn't feel. "Why don't you be nice and show me where my brother and my friend are, hmm?"

_Hotel Room, Happy Jack Inn, Northport, NY_

Frank and Nancy looked up, hearts pounding, as the door to their room opened. A familiar blond head poked in. "Excuse me...do I have the right room?"

Frank's feeling of immense relief was cut short as the two who had been guarding him and Nancy rushed at the door. "Joe, watch out!"

His little brother merely grinned, and backed into the hallway, slowly closing the door, as the thugs continued running toward him. Frank grimaced at he struggled against the bonds that tied him to the chair. His eyes widened as he watched the door open wide again and smash into the two guards. _No wonder we nicknamed Guard Set Two the "Twin Idiots" _he thought, watching the pair go down in an instant.

_Happy Jack Inn lobby, Northport, NY_

The three made a quick call using the phone at the reception desk. Within fifteen minutes, the Northport police had arrived. Officers swarmed the building, rounding up the incapacitated criminals. Frank and Joe leaned against the reception counter, watching, while Nancy chose to lie down on a couch they found in the manager's office.

"You're kidding." Joe looked at his brother in astonishment, as Frank finished summing up what had happened in the hotel room during the past five days. The younger Hardy cast a quick glance around to make sure Nancy wasn't in earshot before continuing. "You and Nancy were alone together for five days, and you're telling me you didn't kiss at all? And that you sang her to sleep!"

"Since when is my relationship with Nancy of such interest to you?"

"Since you admitted that you've been attracted to her, and kissed her, in the past. And since you were alone together for five days. Now, is that really all you did? Nurse her and sing her to sleep?"

"Well, she was sick," Frank said, defending himself.

"Is that your reason for not kissing her, for singing to her, or both?" Joe asked with a smirk.

Frank glowered at his little brother as Nancy rejoined them. "Hey," she said hoarsely. "Did you fill him in?"

"Yeah...but let's get you home. You still need to rest."

Nancy grimaced. "Frank, I'll be fine. Really. I've rested enough the past few days, don't you think?"

"No."

"What about our police statements?" Joe asked. "We can't go home until we give those."

"Apparently, our statements aren't top priority at the moment," Frank said, with a hint of puzzlement in his voice.

"Someone probably doesn't want those goons arrested," Joe muttered.

"Well, they'll call us in when they need us, I guess. Come on, Nan. Come on, little brother..." Frank said, slinging his arm around Joe's shoulder. "Let's all go home, shall we?"

The three walked out to the van, ignoring the spectacle of the men and woman who'd held Frank and Nancy hostage resisting police attempts to load them into squad cars.

Frank opened the side door of the van. "Take one of the back seats, Nan," he advised. "You can recline it, maybe catch some shut-eye on the way back to Bayport."

_Network_ _Building, Chicago, IL_

Johnson stood stiffly in front of the board, doing his best to hide his inner glee. Surely now, his higher-ups would realize that these three teenagers should not be allowed into the Network? The two captives had offered no resistance, the younger brother had taken several days to locate them...their fighting skills were adequate, but not up to par for most new Network agents...

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began. "In the reports in front of you are the initial reports of Joe Hardy's rescue of his brother and Nancy Drew less than an hour ago. It is my belief, ladies and gentlemen," he said, "that based on the data in these reports, Nancy Drew and Frank and Joe Hardy should not be admitted to the Network. They allow their emotions to dominate their actions and words. They cannot stop themselves from speaking against those who might do them great harm, regardless of the consequences."

"Then, if you will all remember, these amateur detectives are teenagers. They are not yet fully mature. As such, they may have issues with authority within this organization - indeed, it seems they already have had some slight altercations with their contact, Agent Gray. If the board wishes to admit these three into the organization, I suggest it not be done until they have graduated college and have gained a better understanding of the world and of themselves. They may be retested at such time, and the board may decide then."

"Thank you, Agent Johnson. We will take your concerns into consideration when making our decision. You are dismissed."

It wasn't long before they called him back, and Johnson seethed inwardly as he learned that, contrary to his expectations, the board had been _impressed_ by the latest reports. Apparently, Joe Hardy had "ingenuity" and "quick-thinking" and his performance had been "quite impressive." The three would be offered a chance to join the Network – immediately. They had already called the New York office to dispatch Agent Gray to the Hardy residence.

_Hardy Residence, Bayport, NY_

The ride back to Bayport was uneventful, for which both brothers were thankful. As Nancy slept in the back, Joe quietly filled Frank in on how he tracked the pair down.

"Hey...who's that?" Frank asked as they pulled up in their driveway.

"Don't know...someone looking for Dad, maybe?"

The figure turned to face them as Joe stopped the van. The younger Hardy scowled as he recognized the man now looking at them expectantly.

"What's he doing here?" he grumbled, as he and Frank got out of the van.

"Don't know...we'll find out soon enough."

Nancy had been woken by the stopping of the van, and she sat up, blinking in confusion. "Are we there?" she mumbled sleepily.

"Yep. Get on out, Drew. Seems we have a visitor."

Nancy climbed out of the van unsteadily, and Frank immediately wrapped an arm around her for support as they walked toward the man.

"Well, I must congratulate you three again," said the Gray Man with a slight smile. "You have successfully completed all four tests."

"You're joking. These past five days have been nothing but a test?"

"Surely you got the note."

"I can't believe this!" Joe burst out angrily. "The Network has been staging these events just to see how we are in action? What kind of bricks-for-brains idiot decided that? Haven't we already proven ourselves to you guys? When's it enough?"

"Well, actually, we'd hoped to do a few more tests, but..."

"But lucky for us, four's the magic number, is that it?" Frank asked bitterly. "I said it before, and I will again. The Network is beginning to act like the criminals we fight, not the anti-criminal organization we know."

"It was necessary."

"Necessary why?"

"All potential Network agents go through a grueling testing process of life-threatening situations. If things go downhill, we do have agents on hand nearby to help the individual….but things rarely go badly. After all, the Network is highly selective in the agents we choose."

"And we were potentials?"

"Yes. And due to your prior experience, you only underwent four tests of your strength, intelligence, and courage. Most go through several more."

"So we should feel lucky."

"I did not say that. The life of an agent is difficult, dangerous, and always demanding. It is not a decision to be made lightly. However, I have the privilege of offering each of you a position within our organization."

"You can take that offer and stick it where the sun don't shine, pal." Joe spat at the Gray Man. "We might've joined one day, if you hadn't put us through these idiotic "tests" which not only endangered our health but that of innocent people."

"Take some time to calm down, Joe," the Gray Man advised. "Then reconsider. This offer will not be made again."

Frank shot a cold glance at the Gray Man as he moved toward the entrance to the Hardy residence, still supporting Nancy. "Forget it, sir."

"Hold on, Frank…" Nancy mumbled as he tried to maneuver them through the doorway. He halted, and allowed her to swing them around until they were facing the Network agent. The Gray Man smiled at her words.

"Reconsidering, Nancy?"

"No," she said, her tone just as icy as Frank's had been. "I just wanted a chance to turn you down myself. Go back to the Network and tell them they can go to hell." She glared at him for a moment, and then allowed Frank to turn her around and guide her into the house. Joe followed them without looking back.

In the yard, the Gray Man smiled to himself. He didn't blame them a bit, though he didn't relish reporting this latest update to his superiors. Still smiling faintly, he walked to his car, got in, and drove away, leaving the Hardy residence behind.

_Hardy Residence, Bayport, NY_

It had been two days since the Gray Man's revelation about the Network tests. And two days since they had told him just where he could stick that offer. Since then, the three teens had been resting, especially Nancy, who was still running a fever.

Frank was leaning against the doorway to the guest bedroom, peering in. Nancy was sound asleep, and she finally seemed to be getting better. Earlier that day, she'd had enough energy to argue with Joe over his selection of reading material to help ease her boredom. Frank hadn't been present for all of the argument, but he gathered that Nancy didn't find _The Weekly World News_ to be appropriate reading fare. Joe, of course, had protested- something along the lines of laughter being the best medicine or something.

Frank's lips twitched into a smile as he noticed now that he could see a _Weekly World News _cover underneath one of Nancy's hands. Guess Joe convinced her, somehow.

The longer he watched her, the more tension he could feel leaving his shoulders. Just realizing she was on the mend had sent a surge of relief through him that surprised him with its power.

Frank was distracted from his task when he heard footsteps pounding up the stairs. "Hey Frank!" Joe called, when he caught sight of his older brother standing by the guest room. "Has Nancy given in and read my fine, classic literature yet?"

Frank put a finger to his lips, and Joe immediately hushed. "She's sleeping?" he asked in a softer voice as he drew closer to his brother. Frank nodded, and once more turned his face toward Nancy.

"Yeah," he said slowly. "And her fever's gone down some...she's been sleeping okay, too, for as long as I've been here."

"And how long has that been?"

Frank shrugged. At that moment, Nancy mumbled something in her sleep, and thrashed around for a moment or two. Frank started toward her, but she quieted before he had taken more than a step. Joe was surprised at just how anxious and protective Frank seemed in that moment.

"Hey," Joe said in a low voice, pulling Frank's gaze away from Nancy. "She'll be fine, Frank."

"It's just...I've seen her get conked on the head, be poisoned, get stabbed, or pitched over a cliff...she always bounces back so fast it makes my head spin. And for that entire time we were in the hotel..." Frank shook his head. "It scared me, Joe."

He took a deep breath. "I never expected to have to take of her, Joe...I'm used to having her at my back...and..."

"And what?"

Frank cast another look at Nancy, his expression unreadable. "Never mind...forget I said anything."

Joe stared at his brother, puzzled. "What could possibly bother you about taking care of Nancy? It's not like you've never helped care for a sick person before..." He laughed. "Don't tell me you were grossed out or something."

Frank shook his head. "That's not what bothered me about it, Joe."

"Then what is it, Frank? Making a fool of yourself singing for her? C'mon, what could be bothering you so much that you don't want to talk about it?"

Frank turned to face his brother, his eyes somber. "Joe...have you ever cared about someone so much, you didn't know what you would do if something horrible happened to them? And then, when it does...even though it's beyond your control, and you do what you can, it still tears you up because you aren't doing enough?"

"Yeah…When Iola was..._oh,_" Joe said, realization dawning over him. "Oh," he repeated, more quietly.

"What are you going to do about it?" Joe asked his brother, as he peeked into the room to be sure Nancy was still asleep.

"I'm not sure...I guess when Nancy gets better, we'll figure it out..."

"Does she even know?"

Frank smiled bitterly. "She knows. We've been avoiding this for a while now, because of Ned and Callie...but I can't avoid it any more."

_Network_ _Building, Chicago, IL_

Johnson slumped in his seat. Well, that was that. The teenagers had passed, despite un-agent-like behavior from Frank Hardy and Nancy Drew, such as cuddling, and singing... _A sick agent should still be an alert agent, not one that needs pampering..._

He allowed a small smile to cross his face, however, as he remembered that the three teenagers had been rather disgusted with the Network. They had told the agency, politely of course, to go away. _Seems this operation wasn't a total loss then, after all..._

_Bayport, NY_

Three days later, Nancy and the Hardys sat in hard plastic seats, patiently waiting for Nancy's return flight home. The three spoke little, and there was a very palpable tension between Frank and Nancy. Both could feel that during the past week their relationship had once again shifted to reveal feelings they normally kept buried.

"Flight two thirty eight to Chicago is now boarding."

They stood awkwardly, and faced each other.

"Well…" Frank began, unsure of what to say.

"Well…" Nancy echoed.

"Well," Joe chimed in. "I'm going to go grab a soda while you two figure how to say goodbye." He leaned over to give Nancy a peck on the cheek. "Take care of yourself, Drew. See ya around." He sauntered away, whistling. Nancy watched him leave with a faint smile.

Frank coughed gently to regain Nancy's attention. She turned to face him, and for a moment, their gazes locked. He felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her, and he leaned in, but she stepped back quickly.

"I'm sorry, Frank," she said softly. "But we can't."

He sighed heavily. "Because of Callie. And Ned."

"Because of them," she agreed. "And," she continued, "because it only makes our relationship all the more confusing."

He quirked a smile at that. "Indeed it does," he admitted softly.

"Which is why," Nancy began slowly, "I've decided that I need to take a break. From Ned…and from you."

"What?" he gasped, staring at her in disbelief. "Nan, I know that whatever this is between us can make things awkward, but-"

"Frank, this is something I have to do. I can't keep ignoring whatever we have, and I can't keep lying to Ned about it, either. So I'm taking a break to sort out my feelings."

He nodded, sadly. It made sense.

"Last call for Flight two thirty eight to Chicago. Last call."

Well," he said, with a wan smile. "Until next time, Drew." _Whenever that may be,_ he added silently.

Nancy's answering smile was just as weak. "Until next time, Hardy," she echoed, then walked to the gate. He watched as she handed her ticket over and then moved on. He kept watching until she was gone from his view, and her plane was taxiing down the runway. Only then did he turn to find Joe so they could leave. As he walked away from the waiting area, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. Nancy wasn't the only one who needed to sort through some emotions.

He swallowed anxiously as he punched in Callie's number. _Easy, Frank, _he told himself, as he raised the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" came Callie's voice on the other end, after only one ring. Frank took a deep breath.

"Callie, we need to talk."

**_End_**

**A/N: I would like to thank my betas - msnancydrew, TesubCalle, and Nicole, for putting up with the long writing process it took to get to this point. **

**I also highly recommend everyone check out TesubCalle's awesome sketch of the trio, done to accompany the first test in this fic. Follow the homepage link in my profile, and lok at the entry for November 1, 2005. **

**Thanks for reading!**


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